Father, son enjoy cutting, selling wood

With the high price of fuel, more and more area residents are turning to wood heat.

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By Russell Hively

Neosho Daily News - Neosho, MO

By Russell Hively

Posted Jan. 2, 2013 at 1:00 AM

By Russell Hively
Posted Jan. 2, 2013 at 1:00 AM

With the high price of fuel, more and more area residents are turning to wood heat. Outside wood furnaces are becoming quite popular. Some people cut their own wood, some buy it from firewood suppliers like Levi Burdge and his father, Edward.

Levi and Edward run a small firewood business near Copeland’s Corner between Neosho and Seneca. They have seriously been in the firewood business for the last two years.

Levi works full time for D & D Logging of Racine as a log cutter. He goes to work early each in the morning and ends his day about 1:30 or 2 p.m.

When he needs a supply of wood, he takes a trailer with him to the woods and loads waste branches on the flatbed. These he hauls home where he and his father cut, split, and stack the wood into ricks.

Edward Burdge says that because of arthritis in his wrists and hands, he is unable to do too much work in the operation.

“I do what I can,” he said.

Burdge is proud of the fact that they use logging waste wood.

“It’s better than pushing the branches into a brush pile and burning them,” he explained.

The branches selected to be made into firewood come from both red and white oak.

Edward said that they have several wood customers who are elderly and cannot handle regular firewood.

“Levi splits their wood up into smaller pieces for them,” Edward said.

“That way they can still handle it.”

Cold weather like we have had recently brings more customers to the Burdge wood yard. Some customers prefer dry wood that is well-seasoned. Others prefer a greener wood as it tends to burn longer. The Burdges try to have both on hand.

Edward Burdge says that supplying firewood to people is not a big money making operation. “The gas we use costs so much,” he said.

Still the Burdges continue splitting, stacking, and selling firewood. They are happy to run a small business that helps keep many people warm and comfortable during the cold days of winter.